Powerful Category 4 hurricane Matthew is bearing down on Haiti with life threatening flash floods and dangerous winds of up to 150 mph expected.
Forecasters said it could be drenched with up to 25 inches of rain, with fears of deadly mudslides and flooding.
Rains have already lashed parts of Jamaica but West Haiti will likely take the brunt of the storm.
"We are worried about the slow pace of Hurricane Matthew, which will expose Haiti to much more rain, and the country is particularly vulnerable to flooding," said Ronald Semelfort, director of Haiti’s National Meteorology Center.
The Haitian Civil Protection Agency said it has prepped hundreds of temporary shelters which can accommodate more than 300,000 people, although more than 2,000 refused to leave their homes in the coastal town of La Savanne.
The slow moving hurricane is due to reach Cuba overnight with mass evacuations already taking place, including at the US base at Guantanamo Bay.
Matthew briefly strengthened to a Category 5 storm, making it the most powerful for nearly a decade.
Airlines and cruise ships have already made arrangements to stay out of harm’s way.
Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises have all cancelled port calls or rerouted itineraries.
Southwest Airlines, American, Delta, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines have been waiving change fees for flights to and from affected destinations.
